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Old 15 August 2008, 10:37 PM   #1
f16570
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The Best

After reading and posting on Larry's post about Rolex being the "BEST" it is clear that we all agree that good it is, but the BEST?
So what is it exactly that makes us all drawn to this mass produced, mass marketed, over priced piece of metal that we all love so dearly.
Ladies & Gentlemen I await your responses.
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Old 15 August 2008, 11:01 PM   #2
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I think it's the hype and the fact that it's one of the most affordable luxury watches with global recognition
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Old 15 August 2008, 11:06 PM   #3
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"Better" and "Best" are like kindling on a hobbyist site.

That said, what draws me to Rolex is a sense of security. In a world where the majority of equipment does not work as designed, or as promised, I find it comforting to wear a watch that is so reliable and robust it actually seems to want to work.
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Old 15 August 2008, 11:13 PM   #4
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Someone else said it best whenever they made the car comparison. Rolex is like a Porsche or Mercedes. Definitely superior, but "normal" people can still afford them. Pateke and a few other brands are "elite" and only the super-rich can afford them.
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Old 15 August 2008, 11:22 PM   #5
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Well, I just like them for what they are. I never fell for the Rolex ad hype. Picked up a GMT-IIC one day (last summer) and then started getting caught up in the brand, reading all I could find on them etc. I liked the changes to the model and just came to adore the watch after purchase.
I quickly realized they had evolved from the acrylic crystaled highly inaccurate Subs my friends bought when we were all deployed to Okinawa in the early 80s. Yea, the concept of getting it regulated was foreign to us -- so shame on us.

I attribute the Sub Blusey and Millie purchases to the members of TRF that taunted me with pics.

Like there will likely always be a Panny in my collection, I suspect at least one Rolex will always be a part of it too. Of course, I love all three that I have now so it's hard to see any of them going away. That DD-II has caught by eye though and someday maybe the Sub and Millie will help fund one of those. Can't see parting with the GMT-IIC. On my wrist right now.
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Old 15 August 2008, 11:41 PM   #6
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I love this quote that sums it up for me:

99% of people have heard of Rolex, 1% have actually seen one.
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Old 15 August 2008, 11:42 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Numismatist View Post
I love this quote that sums it up for me:

99% of people have heard of Rolex, 1% have actually seen one.
Totally agree
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Old 15 August 2008, 11:47 PM   #8
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The clever combination of form and function
with the intangible measure of it's beauty to the beholder's eye.
I guess this is what floats my boat err I mean Dweller.......

......just look at the pool of black on that dial, makes you want to dive in

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Old 15 August 2008, 11:51 PM   #9
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It's all in the name. I have cheap watches that work just as well. They tell me the time...period. The Rolex is jewelry....jewelry. I have never wore jewelry (wedding ring and signate ring only.) I like my SD because it suites my lifestyle and the image I want to put forth. That is being honest. Like say...what kind of car you drive??
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Old 16 August 2008, 12:01 AM   #10
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Solid, reliable, functional and extremely handsome watches. Most Rolex's are very versatile and can be worn with formal, business and casual attire equally well.

Still expensive in my opinion, but what made me take the plunge was that they hold their value so well.
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Old 16 August 2008, 12:39 AM   #11
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It would be disingenuous to say that marketing or awareness of status has no affect on me. I did not learn about Rolex at my father's knee, but from the world's awareness and appreciation of things that aspire to excellence. I learned of Patek (for instance) from far fewer souls, a couple of friends who have a natural disposition to searching out - and at least minimally understanding - the rare and little known... and perhaps the expensive, just because the expensive is usually interesting if not always good.

Most of the time I don't wear my Rolex because of its status, such as it is. There are times when I use it that way, but I can't wait to get home to shed it, take a shower, and leave the thing in a drawer for a week or so until I feel like myself again.

What I do like about my Sub is that its exterior design broadcasts, in a sober but concentrated way, the intensity of engineering within, with enough panache to suggest that the entire package is somewhat special. I like that Rolex has paid attention to the fact that I am a human being equipped with eyes and a brain wired to read a clock, and has not made a watch that requires reexamination and rewiring of my iconographic sensibilities.

Chess players have a wide variety of designs available to them, including many fine small works of art, sculptures of men or animals intricately carved from precious or semi-precious materials. But no one will retrain their mind to play serious chess with those things; too much mental energy is wasted interpreting the pieces, making more difficult the job of interpreting the whole board. On the other hand, there are chess sets that preserve the conservative forms, and yet still stand out in detail. Those are my preference, inasmuch as they add to the enjoyment of the game and serve the purpose of elevating the game above its merely necessary components, such as can be found in perfectly palyable molded plastic.

I feel the same way about watch design. I'm there for the time, and if I can get it with enough flair to satisfy my own sense of design and purposefulness; if it reflects upon, in some fashion, the history of timekeeping; and if it interprets time without my having to stand on my head to interpret it... and if I'm lucky enough to be able to afford it, so much the better. Rolex does that for me.

Now, what was the question?

Edit: Oh, and it doesn't hurt that the Rolex name carries with it a bit of mystique...
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Old 16 August 2008, 01:12 AM   #12
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For me it is a bit of everything. From worldwide recognition to the beauty of the beloved sports range.
I like that when it needs to be seen, it is. When it needs to be hidden, it is.
I like that I can go anywhere in the world and if God forbird I lose my wallet, I have a Daytona that will bail me out of almost any financial stress. I like that in 2 years time, my Rolex' will (hopefully) keep their value (or maybe go up a tad) and I could easily upgrade/change timepiece. Unlike a car or many of the fashion watches, for example.

Oh... last but not least... I like this forum!
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Old 16 August 2008, 02:10 AM   #13
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I love the cussedness of a company that can never be sold or sell out to swatch and all the other big groups that have consumed most of the other traditional names.

I like the fact that the company orientates it product with a long term strategy as it has no share holders that encourage it to respond to the vagaries of fashion. I like the conservative design [apart from a few abominations!] and the fact that my sub has the design DNA of its forefather over 50yrs ago.

I know that if i start the day strapping my sub on, no matter what the day throws at me it will still be ticking at the end of it.

I love the fact that some WIS snobs hate Rolex and love to pitch in and defend my favourite brand!

I love the community of web boards that add to my enjoyment of my watch tremendously.

There is also an unexplainable aspect; for some reason i get all gooey inside when i look at my sub and most other Rolex. But i cannot rationalise it. I guess it must be

Regards

Tim
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Old 16 August 2008, 02:51 AM   #14
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I just love them because they are mine, period.
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Old 16 August 2008, 02:55 AM   #15
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Gregory(MGM), I wished I had the eloquence and verbal dexterity to respond to your post with some whitty retort, but alas, I do not.
Your response has sumed it up for me, like I could not say myself. Thank you
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Old 16 August 2008, 04:39 AM   #16
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Gregory(MGM), I wished I had the eloquence and verbal dexterity to respond to your post with some whitty retort, but alas, I do not.
Your response has sumed it up for me, like I could not say myself. Thank you
Hey, Fraser!

What a nice thing to say. I enjoy reading all the responses; there are so many people writing interesting things on this site that sometimes it seems as if we are just writing to hear ourselves talk. But I really do read everyone's input and weigh it... well, except for Wolfgang's

Actually, Wolfgang, your comment is also true... and funny!
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Old 16 August 2008, 04:41 AM   #17
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq20b4eb6z0
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Old 16 August 2008, 04:45 AM   #18
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Quote:
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That was funny

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Old 16 August 2008, 04:45 AM   #19
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We've all been nabbed - hook, line and sinker......with some superb marketing strategies over the years!!

Rolex marketing ranks up there with the best of the best!!
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Old 16 August 2008, 04:52 AM   #20
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There's no doubt that much of the Rolex myth is hype and clever marketing.

They do make a bloody good watch though (silly prices notwithstanding).
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Old 16 August 2008, 01:37 PM   #21
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To me it's quite simple. Rolex is the best day-to-day watch for me. I love watches and Rolex is but one of the brands I have collected and cherish. The core purpose of my collecting is to compile or hoard examples of precision timekeeping in wristwatches, and I love to wear my watches. For that reason, Rolex represents the best in terms of compromises:

- a good movement design, tested and proven
- a robust case design
- looks good after being worn and beaten up while recording a history of it's own with me

For these reasons and more, I wear a Rolex everyday. Except maybe Sunday
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Old 16 August 2008, 02:23 PM   #22
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Here is my theory: Yes, Rolexes are well-made, but so are Seikos. I think Rolex has done a stellar job of both marketing and carefully controlling its distribution. Think about this: How many ADs do you know of that formerly carried these watches but no longer do because Rolex pulled their products? Certainly, the less jewelers that carry the product, the more elitist, and hence, desirable the watches become. Bottom line: They have become the most recognizable and prestigious timepieces in the world. Everyone knows you dropped a wad on your watch, and hence, it is a high status item. It tells the world you have made it, and feeds your self-esteem much the same as driving a high priced luxury car.
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Old 16 August 2008, 02:25 PM   #23
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Rolex is a name that is renowned even to those who do not care about watches. This boils down to its clever marketing, quality and designs that can stand the test of time. Somehow, I never get tired of looking at a Rolex watch, although I will get tired of looking at the same woman even though she may be very beautiful if you know what I mean.
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Old 16 August 2008, 02:33 PM   #24
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Old 16 August 2008, 02:40 PM   #25
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Old 17 August 2008, 02:52 AM   #26
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Hi Taffi, never looked at my watch as fuelling my self esteem. Perhaps you are right in this observation.
Me I kinda just like the way they look.
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Old 17 August 2008, 03:39 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by erasuretim View Post
I love the cussedness of a company that can never be sold or sell out to swatch and all the other big groups that have consumed most of the other traditional names.

I like the fact that the company orientates it product with a long term strategy as it has no share holders that encourage it to respond to the vagaries of fashion. I like the conservative design [apart from a few abominations!] and the fact that my sub has the design DNA of its forefather over 50yrs ago.

I know that if i start the day strapping my sub on, no matter what the day throws at me it will still be ticking at the end of it.

I love the fact that some WIS snobs hate Rolex and love to pitch in and defend my favourite brand!

I love the community of web boards that add to my enjoyment of my watch tremendously.

There is also an unexplainable aspect; for some reason i get all gooey inside when i look at my sub and most other Rolex. But i cannot rationalise it. I guess it must be

Regards

Tim
X2...Bryan
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Old 17 August 2008, 04:07 AM   #28
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I have stuck up for other brands in the past and I do not necessarily think Rolex are the best.

However, I do own two of them and I do love them...why? I have no idea but I really do love them both!

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Old 17 August 2008, 04:22 AM   #29
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Jimbits76
However, I do own two of them and I do love them...why? I have no idea but I really do love them both!
This is exactly it!
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Old 17 August 2008, 04:28 AM   #30
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Tell me about it Fraser!!!!!!!

I know in my heart I should have bought a JlC as I already owned a Rolex...yet here I am wearing my LV.

Why? It is shiny and pretty and the voices in my head told me to!

J
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